Environmental Issues
There have been many environmental Issues regarding Coca-Cola,the two most prominent
being water shortage and pesticide issues.
Water Shortage
Predominantly in India and China throughout the past decade, rural communities have experienced severe water shortages, because of Coca-Cola factories mining the majority of the common groundwater resources around its facilities. It has also dumped the excess waste water into the ground, polluting the little water that remains. Local farmers are forced to relocate because of the drastic decline in both quality and quantity of water, and even thousands of villagers are dying because of thirst [12].
Pesticides
In 2003, the Central Pollution Control Board of India found that the sludge from Coke's Uttar Pradesh factory in India was contaminated with high levels of cadmium, chronium, and lead. It was releasing out cadmium-laden waste sludge to tribal farmers near the plants as free fertilizer, yet not even providing the local residents with clean water. A report was also issued out by the Centre for Science and Environment in the same year, stating that the Coca-Cola drinks being sold in India had high levels of pesticides. Pesticides including Lindane and chlorpyrifos were sometimes used as high as up to 200 times than allowed by the European Union and the BIS (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) standards [13].
In China, Feb 2012, a Coca-Cola plant in Shanxi was shut down due to chlorine found in a batch of Coca-Cola drinks, with levels just below the national standard of purified water of 0.005 mg per L. Although the Coca-Cola Company claimed the drinks to be safe, we never know what "secret" substances are added to Coke that can affect our health [14].
[12] "Criticism of Coca-Cola." Wikipedia. Accessed June 02, 2012. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Coca-Cola.
[13] "Coca-Cola Charged with Groundwater Depletion and Pollution In India." About.com. Accessed May 30, 2012. http://environment.about.com/od/waterpollution/a/groundwater_ind.htm
[14] Burkitt, Laurie. "China Shuts Coke Plant Over Chlorine." The Wall Street Journal. April 30, 2012. Accessed May 30, 2012. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303916904577375370450310902.html.